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(0m
- 5.5km from Tripoli)
A group of three flat, rocky islands of eroded limestone pavement, 5.5 km
offshore and northwest of Tripoli, together with their surrounding seas
constitute the Palm Islands Nature Reserve. The overall area of the
reserve is 4.2 sq km.
The reserve has recently been designated as a Mediterranean Specially
Protected Area under the Barcelona Convention (1995). The islands were
also identified as a Wetland of Special International Importance by Carp
(1980), and have been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife
International (Evans, 1994).
Palm Island is the largest of the three islands, covering an area of
180796 sqm and is flat with no obvious relief; its highest point is only
about 6m above sea level. The earthen middle separates a rocky shoreline
extending from the northwest to south, and a sandy beach extending from the
north to the east. The island contains evidence of past periods of human
occupation in the form of a fresh water well, an old Salinas and the remains
of an old church that date back to the Crusader period.
Sanani Island covers an area of 45503 sqm south east of Palm Island.
It is mainly rocky with a partially sandy shore that resembles that of Palm
Island.
 The
smallest island, with an area of 34.903 sqm is located north west of Palm
Island. Ramkine Island is mostly rocky and rises to about 12 meters
above sea level. The island contains the remains of a lighthouse in addition
to cannon emplacements and underground galleries that were built early this
century. A solar powered navigation light has now been installed in the
tower of the old lighthouse.
The importance of the
reserve is mainly due to its biodiversity, i.e., what it encloses of species
of fauna and flora as well as habitats and ecosystems, it also represents a
resting area for rare and globally endangered migratory birds such as
White-tailed Sea Eagle Haliaetus albicilla, Audouin's Gull Larus audouini
and Corncrake Crex crex, during its passage or its wintering. Also, its
sandy shore is considered one of the few remaining areas for the nesting of
the globally endangered marine turtles such as the Green Turtle Chelonia
mydas and the Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta. It also hosts in its caves
the Mediterranean Monk seal Monachus monachus that is the sixth mammal on
the list of globally endangered species. As for its flora, it contains
medicinal plants and other rare and endemic species. But the remarkable is
that the surrounding submerged area of the reserve, whether it is
herbaceous, sandy or rocky with crevices, is considered as unique ground for
spawning fish and sponges.
The coastal flora of the Lebanese shore is subjected to extinction due to
pollution and urban development. It is not the same for the reserve islands
which are uninhabited, that gives it a better chance to enclose a variety of
the Eastern Mediterranean coastal flora, and to be a sample of how the
Lebanese coasts were in the past. In addition, the islands witness
alternation of a variety of monthly plants, which leads to a different cover
not only from one season to another but from one month to the other. The
Palm Island Nature Reserve islands are also distinguished for the variety of
medicinal and beehive plants that it has.
 The
islands are distinguished by being the only place in Lebanon that has
nesting sea birds (Yellow- Legged Gull), and that is because it is away from
hunting and urban pressure. Also there are nine other species that nest on
the islands such as the Hoopoe Upupa epops, Graceful Warbler Prinia gracilis,
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris, and White Wagtail Motacilla alba … As for
migratory and wintering species, there are about 156 species, 41 of which
continue their route to nest on the Lebanese mainland. Worthy to say is that
the chaos on the islands before it was declared a reserve, resulted in the
disappearance of four species of birds that used to nest on them and these
are: Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii, Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis,
Common Tern Sterna hirundo and the Little Tern Sterna albifrons, that is
normal because the islands are characterized wherever they are by a fragile
ecosystem. But after the conservation, two of these species have returned to
the islands these are: Audouin's Gull and Common Tern. And it is hoped that
the other two species will return if conservation continues according to the
management and action plans set for this purpose.
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